Preschoolers show their love for their mothers
Preschoolers, ages 4 and 5, at the Butler YMCA were talking about Mother’s Day recently as they began preparing for the annual classroom party for their moms.
Several children were asked a simple question: “Why do you love your mommy?”
The answers did not always come easily. Some offered just a word or two — “she takes me shopping for toys at Gabes,” “she takes me to the trampoline park” — while others paused, searching for the right words.
One little boy, Jack Campbell, answered quickly.
“I love her because I love her so much,” he said, with all the sincerity a 4-year-old could muster.
Many of the answers echoed one another, with children repeating what they had just heard — a reflection of how they are still learning to put feelings into words.
A few children pointed to specific activities their moms allow them to do.
“My mom lets me go to wrestling class with my dad and then we get milkshakes,” said 4-year-old Jay Stoker. He added that his mom also lets him go to the trampoline park with his aunt and play hide-and-seek at his MiMi’s house.
Benjamin Eldridge, 5, gave a shy, proud smile as he explained that he and his mom “go on dates.
“We go to the park, and we watch TV,” he said, making the ordinary routine sound like the most important appointment in the world.
At preschool age, children often feel more than they can express.
Kelly Tennent, director of the YMCA children’s center for 15 years, said her students’ responses are typical for preschoolers. Children this age describe love in concrete, everyday terms, focusing on what a parent does for them — cooking meals, taking them places or spending time together — rather than abstract expressions. As language skills develop, Tennent said, children gradually become more comfortable expressing emotions in words.
“That’s pretty much the best they can do when expressing themselves at this age,” she said.
For preschoolers, those feelings often take shape in simple, familiar things — treats, playtime and time spent together.
They are planning a “Muffins with Mom” celebration ahead of Mother’s Day. Along with muffins and snacks, they are working on drawings, decorations and table centerpieces.
Their feelings of love will show up in bright drawings, handmade decorations and shared food — small expressions carrying big meaning.
“The pictures we are making will be expressions of affection,” Tennent said.
Even when they can’t fully say it, they know exactly how much they love their moms — and their moms know it, too.
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From left, Aspen Smith, Bexley McDade, Benjamin Eldridge and Jay Stoker talk about why the love their mothers at the Butler YMCA Early Learning and Child Care Center Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Holly Miloser plays with toys at the Butler YMCA Early Learning and Child Care Center Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Jack Campbell, left, and Aspen Smith play with cars at the Butler YMCA Early Learning and Child Care Center Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
